Go Racing on Mavizen’s Electric Superbike

The entrepreneur behind the world’s first zero-emissions motorcycle race is back with a limited-edition competition-caliber electric superbike we’ll see on the track next year.

The Mavizen TTX02 unveiled Tuesday in Las Vegas marries top-shelf components and racy styling with a lithium-ion battery pack and two electric motors in a package Mavizen says can do 130 mph. Azhar Hussain built it to provide a ready-made machine that anyone can ride in the 2010 TTXGP, the second running of the green grand prix he launched this year.

“We want the TTxGP eGrandPrix to be affordable and accessible,” Hussain told Wired.com. “The TTX02 is a step toward that goal.”

Mavizen joins Mission Motors in the quest to electrify high-performance motorcycles. But while the Misson One is a street-legal machine, the TTX02, like the one-off Bramo Enertia TTR we saw last year, is meant primarily for racing. What really makes it unique, however, is its interchangable drivetrain and open-source software that allows riders to customize their machines to suit their needs.

“It’s a competitive platform to start developing and tweaking,” Hussain said. “This is about giving everybody access to the best tools so they can go racing and have a stab at making history.”

In that way, the TTX02 is a seed from which Hussain hopes the future of the eGrandPrix and electric motorcycle racing will grow. And the kernel of that seed was provided by KTM, a company most famous for its dirtbikes.

One of the bike's two Agni motors.

The rolling chassis is a KTM RC8 street bike, and they’re sent directly to Mavizen from the KTM factory. They arrive without the engine and other bits needed for internal combustion, but everything else — from the chrome-moly trellis frame and WP suspension to the Brembo brakes, cast aluminum wheels and slick bodywork — is exactly as you’d find it in a KTM showroom.

“This way we benefit from one of the best chassis in the world married up with a boosted version of the drivetrain that won the Isle of Man TTXGP,” Hussain said.

Riders will choose one of three lithium-ion packs, each developed specifically for one of the TTXGP’s three racing classes. The biggest pack, the Snaefell, is an 11 kilowatt-hour unit designed for the 38-mile Isle of Man TT course. The 6 kilowatt-hour Circuit pack is for the 25-mile course. A smaller “Sprint” pack is being developed for the eGrandprix’s six-mile course. There’s no word yet on who’s building the batteries.

“The technology is moving too fast to commit to one manufacturer,” Hussain said. “For us, performance is key and price second, so our design is flexible enough not to lock down to a particular battery.”

The drivetrain is swappable, allowing racers to mix-and-match packs and motors to suit the circuit and their riding style. The software controlling it all runs on Linux — Hussain says it boots up in less than three seconds — and the system bus for power and data features a USB port.

“This allows all kinds of peripherals to integrate into a single command system,” Hussain said. “So, for example, a camera feed can integrate with battery management and GPS to form a single view of the race.”

Mavizen included a web browser into the system to allow remote login, configuration and system diagnostics. Hussain says that will make it easier to provide software upgrades and for racers to customize the software. The command system is called Chewii, and Hussain says it will be available in March at no cost to anyone who wants it.

Hussain plans to build the TTX02 in the United Kingdom. Volume will depend upon demand, but Mavizen has set an initial goal of 50 bikes. The first of them will be delivered in April. The price will depend upon what battery pack is ordered, but Hussain said “a typical circuit configuration will be about $40,000.”

Although the bike is designed specifically for the TTXGP, you don’t have to race on the Isle of Man to buy one.

“Anybody who wants to get into electric bike racing or just wants to get the bike on the road is welcome to come and we’ll get them going,” he said.

UPDATE: 10:05 a.m. Eastern Nov. 4: As the first commenter, fractoid, notes, the photo below shows what appears to be Windows. But Azhar Hussain specifically said Mavizen used Linux. We should have caught that sooner and we’ll follow up to see what’s going on.

Here’s The Thing With Ad Blockers

We get it: Ads aren’t what you’re here for. But ads help us keep the lights on. So, add us to your ad blocker’s whitelist or pay $1 per week for an ad-free version of WIRED. Either way, you are supporting our journalism. We’d really appreciate it.